Attorney Charles Olchowski of Greenfield, MA; moronic slacker 

The state of Massachusetts presented Charles V. Olchowski with a law license in 1979 after he graduated from Syracuse University Law School.

The Board of Bar Overseers found Charlie guilty of the following misconduct, all of which related to a California resident visited Massachusetts and hired Charlie to represent him in the sale of a house located in Massachusetts. During the visit, the client executed a warranty deed conveying the property to the buyer. The client also executed a power of attorney to the respondent permitting the respondent to act on his behalf during the closing.

• Failed to provide competent representation (moron)
• Erroneously advised client that no M-792 had been filed since his wife’s death and, as a result, there was a cloud on the title to the property
• Ignorantly advised client that as seller or property he was obligated to provide clear title to the buyer and that clearing the title that his wife’s estate needed to be probated
• Failed to act with due diligence (slacker)
• Failed to take necessary steps to protect client interests upon termination
• Failed to explain a matter to the extent reasonably necessary to permit the client to make informed decisions regarding the representation
• Didn’t know that he needed to only file estate tax return on behalf of wife’s estate to obtain M-792 form and that no tax would be due unless the value of her estate exceeded $200,000 at the time of her death
• Unaware that the tax lien would expire ten years from the date of the wife’s death, by operation of law whether an estate tax return had been filed on behalf of the wife’s estate or an M-792 had been obtained
• Offered to probate wife’s estate for $5,000 to be paid from proceeds of real estate closing
• Charlie’s fee was clearly excessive
• After real estate closing, Charlie paid himself $5,000 as a fee to probate the wife’s estate
• and secure the M-792
• Performed no work of substance to probate wife’s estate or obtain or file M-792 on behalf of wife’s estate
• By law, the estate tax lien against wife’s estate was extinguished
• Failed to inform his client that he had not taken any action to secure the M-792
• Failed to respond to client inquiries re: tax lien expiration
• Failed to respond to client demands for a refund of the $5,000 he had paid to have wife’s estate probated

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the cheerleaders for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Board of Overseers punished Charlie by gifting him with a complimentary reprimand.

Warning: Charlie does not carry legal malpractice insurance